Montreal Canadiens: Rookie excitement and a Nikita Scherbak surge

There’s going to be a lot to pay attention for with the Montreal Canadiens as prospects look to make a name for themselves including Nikita Scherbak.

The long wait of the offseason is almost behind us. After this week, we’ll be in September, and the Montreal Canadiens will be one of the first organizations to get things started for the 2018-19 season.

It starts with the NHL Rookie Showdown set to take place next weekend where Habs prospects will be taking on young players from the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Ottawa Senators. Victor Mete made a name for himself at last year’s tournament, and the focus will and should be on 2018 third-overall pick Jesperi Kotkaniemi.

The 18-year-old recently took part in the U20 Four Nations Tournament in Sweden playing in two of Team Finland’s three games. Kotkaniemi had a single goal in his first game against the Czech Republic on the powerplay but has shown an impressive degree of vision and awareness with and without the puck. However, there are other Montreal Canadiens prospects that will be at Place Bell who can stand out amongst the rest as well.

And that’s just the rookie camp going into the main one. Once that starts, the narratives around the other younger players on the team are going to soar. There are go-to choices, but players such as Nikita Scherbak, Victor Mete, and Noah Juulsen should be on their way to have bigger roles on the team this year.

We tackle some of those issues on Mock V of the A Winning Habit Roundtable.

• Mock I: Max Pacioretty trade situation, 2018 draft standouts, remaining RFAs
• Mock II: Expectations for Max Domi, players set to have breakout seasons, cap space left to work with
• Mock III: NHL debuts, a top-six role for Matthew Peca, and the number of performance bonuses Tomas Plekanec can hit
• Movk IV: Addressing the rumours around the Habs, who of the four 2017 defencemen get contracts, and what Pacioretty’s goal totals will be by the deadline

1) What did you make of the Hunter Shinkaruk trade and what do you think he needs to do to turn his career around within the Montreal Canadiens organization?

Nick Lariviere: I think that trade was a swap of AHL players who may step up in a change of scenery. I personally liked Rychel, but I believe Shinkaruk will be a good add for Laval. Especially the speed he can bring.

Zachary Cook: Kerby Rychel might have a better shot to be a full-time NHLer down the right, just because of his style of play, but with that being said, I’ve always loved the skill that Shinkaruk brought to the table, so you could say this is a bit of a home run potential trade for the Canadiens. Both players have put up respectable numbers at the AHL level, and a change of scenery could certainly benefit both of these former first-round picks.

Kamal Rehman: It’s most likely a move for Laval more than a move for the big club. What I know about Shinkaruk is that he does have a nose for the net and can skate. Although his minor league numbers don’t scream that he’s ready to burst onto the NHL scene. He’s been scratched at the AHL level for not exactly having his head in the game. That’s a concern. Seeing as he is a left winger it may be tough for him to play for the Habs. The good thing is that he is said to have a good attitude and as we all know, attitude is everything.

Omar White: You could clearly get the feeling that something like a trade was going to happen for one of Kerby Rychel or Michael McCarron with their contract negotiations entering the depths of the offseason. The first thing is to say it’s only a simple swap for struggling first-round picks who haven’t been able to make a name for themselves in any of the organizations they’ve been a part of. On the surface, Shinkaruk brings more speed when it comes to his skating technique, but offensively, they’re virtually the same.

Shinkaruk had 235 points in 211 WHL games and 149 points in 251 AHL games. Conversely, Rychel had 271 points in 256 OHL games and 154 points in 232 AHL games. There’s not much there to build a strong argument for or against either of them. What doesn’t work in Shinkaruk’s favour is that his point totals have been declining over the last two seasons.

Another thing to keep in mind is Rychel has a better chance to play on the Flames than Shinkaruk has to play on the Habs. The former plays that rough and heavy style Calgary likes to implement through their lineup. Shinkaruk will have a much harder time leapfrogging the wingers in the Montreal Canadiens system and is already at a disadvantage.

What he needs to do is easier said than done, but he needs to stand out as much as he can with the Laval Rock this season. Not just offensively, but in all aspects of his playing style. It will start with his speed which Joel Bouchard will be a fan of. Unfortunately, he only has a year to do it

2) Save for the obvious answer (Jesperi Kotkaniemi), who are you the most excited to see at the Rookie Showdown in September?

NL: I would have to say I’m excited to see what Lukas Vejdemo can do. He is a wild card who may surprise many at rookie camp.

ZC: Last year, I was lucky enough to be in attendance and get the chance to scout a few of the Habs up and coming prospects. I had kept a close eye on Victor Mete, and he thoroughly impressed me, and it wasn’t long before he was making an impact at the NHL level afterwords. This year, I’ll be looking at Cole Fonstad. I’ve mentioned it before, and I’ll mention it again, I really believe that Cole has the skills to be a bonafide top 9 NHL forward down the line, and this rookie tournament will be just another chance to evaluate the young, skilled forward.

KR: I am most interested in seeing how Jake Evans fairs. Although only a seventh-round pick, seeing as he finished four years of college hockey at Notre Dame he is older than the traditional rookie. His maturity, his play, and clutch goals at the Frozen Four really peaked my curiosity. It will be interesting Honourable mention to Will Bitten. I saw him in person at the London 2016 tournament and I thought he stood out quite well. I’ll be interested to see how he’s progressed.

OW: It’s Cale Fleury for me. The 2017 third-round pick is eligible to play in the AHL this season, and that looks to be the plan as he isn’t at training camp with the Regina Pats. The Rookie Showdown will be a good way for Fleury to prove that he’s ready to play at the higher level, especially if he continues that on to the Habs main camp mid-September. He’s proven to be an all-situation defenceman which will be a strong addition to Laval’s blueline if he ends up making it.

3) Where does Nikita Scherbak fit in the lineup? Is he a lock to make the team out of camp and if so, what are your predictions for him this season?

NL: I think Scherbak isn’t quite a lock he will need to prove he belongs but it is his spot to lose. I see him playing up on the second line in the NHL with all that being said I have faith in him. I say 15-20 goals, 35-40 points.

ZC: Scherbak’s skillset provides a lot of intrigue for the Canadiens coaching staff. His frame and talent should put him in the top-six forwards for the Montreal Canadiens, but it’s difficult to say for sure. Scherbak was definitely one of the bright spots for the team last season, but he will still have to earn a spot on the big club this year. I don’t think I’ll be alone in saying this, but I’m not concerned whatsoever with his point totals last year. I think with more powerplay time, and consistency in linemates, that Scherbak could crack the 40 point mark this season.

KR: I think Scherbak is as close to a lock as you can get without being a lock. I don’t mean to sit on the fence on this one. I do see him making the club out of camp but I can also see him not making it. He had a good camp last year and then got injured. His stint in the AHL showed he does have NHL skill and when he got called back up he showed flashes of puck control and creativity that got fans excited. Of course, Coach Claude cares about both sides of the ice and I think that if Scherbak shows a commitment to his own end he’ll make the club. Plus, he will be one of the rare Habs whose game is more offensive oriented and the Habs will need his offense. So yeah, he’s a lock…maybe.

On the club, he has to play top-six minutes. As I’ve mentioned before this will be a growing year, so I’m all for giving the kids minutes and letting the kids learn. Mistakes be damned! Make a mistake and let him continue with a regular shift. Hopefully, Coach Claude will let him play his game and learn at the same time. Max Domi, Jonathan Drouin, and Scherbak? Sure. Give him powerplay time too.